Have I permanently ruined my brain?

2»

Replies

  • EmmaJean7
    EmmaJean7 Posts: 163 Member
    Ps: sorry about the bad spelling I was typing this up on my iPhone and sometimes it gets a mind of its own :p
  • HMToomey
    HMToomey Posts: 276
    Please see a doctor!
  • Rinkermann
    Rinkermann Posts: 108 Member
    Go Directly to a Doctor. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200. Go straight to a Doctor!
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Ps: sorry about the bad spelling I was typing this up on my iPhone and sometimes it gets a mind of its own :p

    Haha, that's okay sweetie :)
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    This sound like a question for a doctor. Not random strangers on the internet. Whatever advice you get, just remember that none of us are qualified to give you advice on this and it may be harmful in the long run.

    Posts by members, moderators and admins should not be considered medical advice and no guarantee is made against accuracy.
    i agree
  • lamos1
    lamos1 Posts: 167 Member
    As an internet expert, you did ruin your brain, permanently.
    Fret not, most peoples brains are ruined anyways, and your only using 10 percent of it. So you can blow up the other 90 percent and be alright.

    for example, you own a car, but only the horn and wipers work. Thing just sits in your driveway all busted up, but you can honk at the neighbors cat, and watch the wiper blades go back and forth.

    :laugh: You're a very funny person!! haha!
  • vbrent07
    vbrent07 Posts: 115
    At 18, I drank heavily and did lots of drugs for about a 8 month period. While I was doing that and for about a year after I stopped, I had lots of issues similar to what you are dealing with. It's been 12 years now and I'm happy to say that it does get better as long as you don't continue with what your doing. Sometimes I have my forgetful moments but not as bad as before and now I don't know if it's just my age. With all the chemicals that can be in liquor and drugs I have to believe that a part of that has to be causing some of your issues but I would just talk to a doctor to check everything out.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Go Directly to a Doctor. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200. Go straight to a Doctor!

    Not everyone has a spare $70 lying around... :huh:
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Hello!
    I am also a young alcoholic (I'm 22 now) and drank heavily up until January. My dad is also an alcoholic who has been to rehab several times, and the last time he went (which worked! he's been sober 9 months!), he was in a medical rehab (associated with a hospital and combining the biological and neurological components with the holistic approach of AA). While he was at the medical rehab, we attended the family program and learned a ton of great information! I think some of it pertains to you and I both!

    When an alcoholic quits drinking, s/he often goes through whats known as P.A.W.S.- Post Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. P.A.W.S symptoms can include "brain fog", forgetfullness, inability to concentrate, and mood swings among other things. P.A.W.S can last up to 3 years after the alcoholic quits drinking, but it does go away. I imagine since you are young, it would go away more quickly. I experienced P.A.W.S for only a few weeks after I quit drinking, but my dad is still experiencing it after 9 months. He drank HEAVILY (20+ drinks/day) for over 40 years. Right now, he literally has to write everything down on sticky notes so he doesn't forget. He sometimes even forgets what he has said to us.

    P.A.W.S can be very scary because it mimics the cognitive effects of intoxication. It can also be discouraging because we quit drinking in the hopes that things would get better for us, and then we have to deal with this *kitten*?! Trust me, I understand, I'm a college student...I know its rough. Someone earlier said that brain cells don't come back...And that is true, to an extend. Any brain cells that are dead will not "come back to life". HOWEVER!! Neuro-pathways that carry information in the brain that were pruned (essentially meaning they died) while we were drinking will be regenerated during extended periods of sobriety. So there is hope!

    I hope this gives you some encouragement :) Message me if you have any questions or if you need support :)
    [quote/]



    Thankyou.. I hope and pray that it is just this...
  • AnathemaTeatime
    AnathemaTeatime Posts: 11
    Definitely ask for a full neuropsych workup. I have a seizure disorder that can cause permanent brain damage, and I was terrified that I was incurably impaired. My neurologist ordered a neuropsych test and it was fantastic. Essentially, what I learned was that, yes, there is some damage but it's minor (mainly to do with sense of direction and 3-D orientation, which thank heavens there's GPS to address when driving!). I was also very candid about the doctor about past alcohol and drug usage, and she was able to assure me that there was no evident organic damage related to substance abuse.

    It was such a relief to have my fears taken seriously, evaluated, and explained. And even though I did learn that i had some brain damage, I also learned the extent of it (thankfully minor), and that actually alleviated my stress, because now it's a quantifiable, treatable thing rather than a scary mysterious "big bad."
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Definitely ask for a full neuropsych workup. I have a seizure disorder that can cause permanent brain damage, and I was terrified that I was incurably impaired. My neurologist ordered a neuropsych test and it was fantastic. Essentially, what I learned was that, yes, there is some damage but it's minor (mainly to do with sense of direction and 3-D orientation, which thank heavens there's GPS to address when driving!). I was also very candid about the doctor about past alcohol and drug usage, and she was able to assure me that there was no evident organic damage related to substance abuse.

    It was such a relief to have my fears taken seriously, evaluated, and explained. And even though I did learn that i had some brain damage, I also learned the extent of it (thankfully minor), and that actually alleviated my stress, because now it's a quantifiable, treatable thing rather than a scary mysterious "big bad."

    Glad that yours is only minor.. How much does all this cost?

Categories